1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to syringes and particularly to safety syringes designed for shielding the needles of the syringes to prevent accidental sticks and to further comply with “The Needle Stick Safety & Prevention Act” enacted into Federal law in the year 2000.
2. Prior Art
It is well known that the risk of contracting diseases such as hepatitis and HIV from accidental sticks with dirty needles is a potentially deadly hazard for medical personnel. The prior art has many syringe designs that attempt to avoid accidental sticks. Such syringes generally have three goals. One goal is to minimize the window of opportunity for an accidental stick. Another goal is that the syringe should be simple to operate and preferably operate as similarly as possible to a conventional syringe. The final goal is that the safety syringe should be easy to manufacture and assemble.
One prior art device is the Alexander U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,611 entitled “Safety Syringe” which issued on Oct. 24, 1995. Another prior art device is the Alexander et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,727 entitled “Safety Syringe” which issued on Feb. 24, 1998. Such prior art devices include a syringe which will automatically cover the needle upon the administering of the injection to the patient. Each of the Alexander patents identify many prior art patents and disclose devices directed in part to preventing dirty needle sticks.